Longmont Shuttle is a Leader advertiser and sponsor of our new Outside section. This story was assigned and edited before Longmont Shuttle began its business relationship with The Leader.
Sometimes community comes before profit. Longmont Shuttle serves as proof. The local company that provides rides to Denver International Airport kept its vans rolling as the coronavirus pandemic took hold in March, but instead of ferrying passengers to and from their flights, it was toting groceries and other supplies to community members.
It focused on such deliveries even as operations were running in the red.
“The pandemic hit the business hard, we suffered a 90% revenue loss,” said company founder Simon Chen. “But we never thought about quitting or abandoning the Longmont community.”
According to Chen, the idea came from his black car business and its “Concierge Plus” service. “We wanted to be able to assist the community in any way we could, so we decided to offer this as a free service (and still do to this day),” Chen said via email. “All we ask of our customers is that they tip the driver.”
“We promoted the grocery service via our Facebook and Instagram pages, and also in our weekly emails,” he said. “When toilet paper was in a shortage at the start of the pandemic, we were able to hold steady and secure supply of it via one of the local hotels. We then offered this free, as well, to all customers. We ‘sold’ 300-plus rolls in 90 minutes of us sending an email to the shuttle customer base. Again, we didn’t charge customers for the toilet paper, we just wanted them to tip the driver.”
And while demand for delivery of toilet paper and other groceries have eased in the months since the pandemic took hold, Longmont Shuttle’s mission to help its community has stayed steady.
“... We will still assist the community in any way we can,” Chen said. “So, if people needed transportation to/from a doctor’s appointment, we would happily provide this free of charge.”
Nancy Dale and Tim Henson are two of many customers who are grateful for the grocery delivery assistance.
“We have used Longmont Shuttle’s airport service many times over the last several years,” Dale said via email. “However, with the COVID-19 outbreak we had to cancel travel plans for this summer, so we weren’t expecting to be able to support Longmont Shuttle.”
“I have an (autoimmune disorder) and was very nervous about going to the grocery store in person,” Dale said. “Then we found out that Longmont Shuttle was offering a grocery pickup service. We’ve been able to order our groceries online then have them picked up at the store and delivered to our house by Longmont Shuttle. … Amazingly, Longmont Shuttle does not charge for this service. All that they request is that we tip their drivers. This is offered to keep their drivers employed and to help anyone in the community who has difficulty with in-person shopping.”
The company’s focus beyond its bottom line made a deep impression on Dale.
“We have been very impressed with Longmont Shuttle’s creative solutions to helping all of us get through this pandemic. They immediately set up a cleaning protocol and installed shields in their vans to protect customers who still need to travel,” she said. “They’ve shown care, compassion, and commitment to the community and to their employees. Longmont Shuttle is truly a great example of a service-minded company.”
Helping out is not new to Chen. He first moved to Colorado in 2013, shortly before historic floods ravaged the state. Fresh from his native Australia, the entrepreneur was hopeful to build roots and a new business. However, he could not ignore the calling to help his newly adopted community and postponed his venture in order to volunteer.
“I was working as a tech consultant. As soon as the floods hit, my daughter’s school sent out an email looking for volunteers. I wasn’t going to stand by and watch and wanted to help. So, I took the week off and helped a family (Paul and Kam Wosachlo). They are not only our Realtors but now very good friends,” Chen said.
“We formed a bond not only with them but with two to three other neighbors of theirs. Helping seemed like the right thing to do. It was a life-changing event for the community and I was inspired by the sense of community that Longmont possessed,” he said.
“We are a local, family-owned business, but we want to be part of the community and want the community to know they can depend on us to help as much as we can. During a crisis, people either do one of two things: they either run from it or run toward it. I chose the latter.”
As the area started bouncing back after the floods, Chen returned his attention to his vision for a business. In 2016, he launched limousine company Eight Black Transport. It offered riders service to Denver International Airport complete with high-speed phone charging cables, USB charging ports and onboard network Wi-Fi systems.
When Super Shuttle, owned by a French conglomerate, pulled out of the Longmont market, it left a gap in local airport shuttle service, Chen said. So in 2017, Longmont Shuttle became one of two companies transporting area riders to DIA.
“We started the shuttle business by accident,” Chen said. “Super Shuttles suddenly quit the market and stopped providing service to Longmont, Greeley, Loveland and Fort Collins. They gave their customers no more than two weeks’ notice.
“We started receiving phone calls from Longmont hotels asking us if we were going to start a shuttle business,” he said. “We were already busy operating our black car service and didn’t think we had the expertise or knowledge to run a shuttle. But we thought about it for a day or so, we had the vehicles available and we thought someone has to do something to help the community.”
While business travel may not return to pre-COVID levels this year, Chen said there are still passengers who need to fly. Longmont Shuttle is still running to and from DIA from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. throughout the week. The service offers pickup or dropoff for any address in Longmont.
Following the shutdowns caused by COVID-19, the first order of business was to ensure the company’s five employees and seven-vehicle fleet could meet demand. Longmont Shuttle also needed to adapt to the needs of travelers. To enhance customer safety, “sneeze screens” were added between the driver and the passenger cabins. Each Sprinter van also is fitted with a HEPA air filtration system that replaces and filters the air eight times an hour, according to Chen. Drivers wear masks, passengers’ temperatures are taken before travel, and the vehicles are regularly wiped down.
He added that customers, 30% of which are aging adults, trust Longmont Shuttle because the company is reliable, the pricing is competitive, and the vehicles are safe.
“We are a local company who is committed to servicing the Longmont community. We are owned by a well-established local transport business and unlike the previous shuttle company who serviced the northern Front Range, we won’t abandon the market,” he said.
Joe Mendez stands next to a Longmont Shuttle van. Mendez has been with the company for about a year.(Photo by Mandy Froelich)
